For Immediate Release



For: Immediate Release Contact: Joe Ruddon

Date: November 20, 2013 Director of Marketing

760-366-6322

Hi-Desert Medical Center Continuing Care Center Receives National Recognition

Joshua Tree, CA— Hi-Desert Medical Center’s Continuing Care Center has earned recognition for safely reducing the off-label use of antipsychotics by the American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) Quality Recognition Program.

According to the ACHA, a large number of the individuals in skilled nursing centers are living with some type of dementia. For these individuals and as illness progresses, behavior often becomes a key form of communication. This can be challenging for families and staff, and too often, antipsychotic medication is used in an attempt to modify behavior. The use of antipsychotic medication to treat behavior associated with dementia is not supported clinically and is considered off-label by the FDA, which issued a “black box” warning for the elderly with dementia.​ Antipsychotic drugs are expensive, costing hundreds of millions of Medicare dollars. They also increase the risk of death, falls with fractures, hospitalizations and other complications resulting in poor health and high costs.

Michelle Amdahl, the Continuing Care Center’s director of nursing and interim administrator, explains staff at the CCC works diligently to reduce the use of antipsychotics, and the process begins upon admission. “Staff works closely with the resident’s physician, the pharmacy and an interdisciplinary team to gradually reduce dosages, with the goal of discontinuing these drugs altogether,” she says. “Our goal is always quality of care and the best home-like environment for our residents. Decreasing the use of any unnecessary medications in the long-term care setting adds to the quality of life of our residents.”

The intent of the AHCA Quality Initiative goal to safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics is to encourage alternative strategies for responding to challenging behavioral expressions in persons living with dementia before considering medications and to ensure that antipsychotic medications, when used, are as appropriate and safe as possible.

CCC staff will attend the organization’s national Quality Symposium in February 2014 where they will share best practices that resulted in this recognition.

The Continuing Care Center, located on the campus of Hi-Desert Medical Center, provides specialized care to residents. The focus of care is to provide a home-like setting. The Center has 120 beds in semi-private rooms offering three distinct services: sub acute care (one of the few facilities in Southern California providing this level of care to residents with ventilator and tracheotomy requirements); skilled nursing care (long-term skilled nursing care is provided to residents who require assistance with personal care and medical needs); and transitional care (short-term care for patients requiring rehabilitative therapies, wound care or recovery from invasive procedures).

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